Former Bees bring success and experience back to old stomping grounds

Nov. 4, 2004
By Maggie Hughes
Staff Writer

For some St. Ambrose grads, post-graduation plans lead them right back where it all began. After graduating just last spring, class of 2004’s Brett Jacobs and Carla Vaske have returned back to SAU to join the Fighting Bees coaching staff.

Both players were instrumental in bringing their sports to new heights during their tenure at St. Ambrose and are still living the life of a Bee even after receiving their diploma.

Jacobs, a former member of the men’s basketball team, graduated with his BA in psychology and is now the assistant coach of the women’s basketball team under head coach Ted Eskildsen.

As a four-year varsity player and starting forward on last year’s NAIA Final Four team, Jacobs has plenty of experience and knowledge to bring to the table as a coach.

Vaske was a four year student-athlete at SAU, where she competed as a Queen Bee on the basketball court, a runner on the cross-country team, and a runner/thrower on the Fighting Bee track and field team.

She was named all-conference as a junior on cross-country and captain of both track and field and cross-country as a senior. Now a part of the fighting bee coaching staff, Vaske is the graduate assistant (GA) under coach Dan Zeimet.

The change from coach to player is a significant transition. Some think it might even be difficult. Jacobs says he finds it relaxing but can’t believe that just a year ago, he was doing what the players are doing day in and day out.

“Coaching doesn’t make me miss playing at all,” Jacobs said. “It makes me stay involved with the game from a different view.”

Jacobs says there are significant changes in the transition from men’s to women’s basketball.

“The biggest difference is understanding basketball in the way that women play because it is a totally different way of coaching and playing,” Jacobs said.

Vaske says her graduate assistant experience is helping her realize just exactly what goes into coaching.

“Being a GA is nice,” Vaske said. “It helps to learn under the head coach without all the big responsibilities.”

As for the transition from player to coach, Vaske says she misses the comradery among her teammates.

“I feel more on the outside as the coach, but it's still just as fun,” Vaske said.

Both Vaske and Jacobs had shown leadership potential throughout their college careers as they were selected team Champions of Character for their respective sports.

While serving as assitant coaches these two former student-athletes find it easier to relate to the athletes and help them out with their problems, as they were in their shoes just months before.

As for their futures, both Jacobs and Vaske said they plan to coach in the future. Jacobs is currently getting his master's in Occupational Therapy, and Vaske is working on her master's in Organizational Leadership (MOL).

This is not a new trend at St. Ambrose for a former player to come back and lead the team he or she had competed for, in fact looking through the program several familiar faces have become Bees again after graduation.

Over the years there have been a number of SAU grads that return as athletic coaches, including Ray Shovlain and Matt Fitzpatrick of men’s basketball, Todd Sturdy, Jeff Girsch, Mark Schlichting and Gabe Barta of football, Jeff Griebel of men’s golf, Fr. Bud Grant of men’s soccer, Bridget Murphy of softball, Dan Zeimet of men’s and women’s cross-country, Erin Girsch of the cheerleading squad, Lance Corber of the dance team, Kevin Crowe of women’s soccer and Jim Callahan and Tony Huntley of the baseball team.

Through rich traditions, pride, and excellence these coaches have exemplified the Ambrose spirit, and try to bring up the next age of champions at St. Ambrose.

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